Phonograph reproducer



W. WHITTEN.

PHoNoGRAPH HEPHODUCEH.

APPLICATION FILED APR.30, I9I9-l Patented Feb. 2l, 1922.

WITNESSES y@ UNITED STATES t PATENT .OFFICE WALTER WHITTEN, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

PHONOGRAPH REPRODUCER.

Application led April 30, 1919. Serial No. 293,825.

To all whom it'mg concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER Wiirr'rEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Schenectad county of Schenectady, State of New ork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonograph Reproducers,vof which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a reproducer or sound box for phonographs, graphophones, talking machines and other like mechanical sound recording and reproducing instruments.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a phonograph reproducer or sound box of the utmost simplicity in design and construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a phonograph reproducer for reproducing the mechanically recorded sound with a minimum of movable parts.

A still further object of my invention is to providea phonograph reproducer which may be used for reproducing sound both from disc and cylinder records.

With these and other objects in mind, the

invention'itself consists of the novel featuresof design and construction foundin the referred embodiment thereof illustrate in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in. which- Figure 1 is a cross sectional View in a vertical plane passing through the center of the reproducer.

Figure 2 is an outside view in elevation of the front face of the reproducer.

Figure 3 is a View in side elevation similar to Figure 2, with the front half of the casing removed to expose to .view the centrall diaphragm contained in the case.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View of a modification.

The phonographreproducer or soiind box illustrated. in the preferred embodiment of my invention comprises essentially a longitudinally divided hollow casing 4, having a central aperture 5 opening into a tubular projection 5, furnishing the connecting means with the arm of the phonograph; a holder or receptacle 7 for the stylus, and the usual thumb screw 8 for tightening the stylus in the holder 7 The walls of casing 4 are 'made thin and of any suitable resilient material. Casing 4 is composed of a front sectional half 9 and a rear sectional half 10,'

and 10 together by so dering, welding ory otherwise. The stylus holder or receptacle 7 is fitted into a recess-provided in flanges 11 and 12, and is held in placeby soldering or such like means. It is to be'noted that the casing 4 is itself the vibratory member to which the stylus holder 7 is directly attached without the interposition of the usual arm, and that the whole vibrates on an axis longitudinally yof the casing 4 and passin through the center of aperture '5.

The device as thus described will reproduce sound, but, it has been found in practice, lacking inquantity or volume, and with a certain degree or harshness, and it is for the purpose of correcting these faults that the further features of the invention, hereinafter described, are ,superadded The inner surfaces of flanges 11 and 12 are recessed to form a groove 13 into which is fitted, enclosed within casing 4, a diaphragm 14, made of any suitable material, and having punched therein a series of apertures 15 for the purpose of ermitting sound to fiow therethrough. The iaphragm .14 cooperates with the walls of the casing 4 in the reproduction of sound.

To eliminate harshness and to improve the quality of the tone, Ip'provide a circular damping Washer 16 of rubber or like suitable material, which is cemented or affixed in.

ing effect produced by these washers is not.

sufficient, a damping disc 20 may be added, conveniently positioned within the opening 19 of washer 18. In Figure 4 diaphragms 14a and 14b similar to' diaphragm 14 are superimposed on said diaphragm 1'4, land for further damping washers 16a-and 18a similar to washers 16 and 18, and also damping `discs 203L similar to disc 20 are affixed to the casing 4.A

iio

The casing 4 is brought back to its normal position after each vibration by the resiliency of the walls of the casing and of the diaphargm or diaphragms which may be used in conjunction therewith, which operates to produce a better quality of tone than were the indentations of the record relied upon for this purpose.

The reproducer may be made adaptable for use with cylindrical as well as disc records by the addition of a horizontal stylus holder or receptacle 21, fitted with thumb screw 22, shown in dot and dash outline in F igure 1. Y

In joining the various parts of my reproducer together, I prefer to make thev connect-ions permanently fixed and rigid by employing such methods as welding, soldering, cementing, ctc., thus reducing to a minimum the number of movable parts, and in consequence the possibility of parts working 1oose. In this way it will be observed that in the preferred form of my invention, illustrated and described herein, the only movable part is the thumb screw 8. This feature is of obvious advantage in a device of this character in which it is necessary to have all its parts firm and securely in place. It will be readily understood, however, that, if found more convenient, the parts might be otherwise ljoined together.; as, for example, the half sections of the case 4 might be secured together by screws and nuts, or the sections themselves might be threaded to screw together; and the holder 7 might be threaded to screw into recess 23 in flanges 11 and 12, also threaded, and `likewise with holder 21, and

other like modifications. Also the case 4 might be made in one piece, in which case no diaphragm would be used in conjunction therewith, or, the case 4 might be composed of a half section closed by a diaphragm or diaphragms, the stylus holder in this construction being secured in the half section casing.

Hazifing thus 'described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. A phonograph reproducer comprising a hollow vibrator casing having a centrally arranged sound opening in one wall and provided with a stylusholder at its periphery, and a diaphragm secured at its edge to said casing, substantially mid-way between the walls thereof.

2. A phonograph reproducer comprising a hollow casing formed of thin resilient material and provided with a centrally arranged sound opening in one wall and with a stylus holder projecting from its periphery, and a diaphragm provided with a series of apertures and secured at its edge to said casing, substantially midway between the walls thereof.

3. A phonograph reproducer, comprising a hollow casing formed of thin resilient material and provided with a'sound opening in one side wall and with a st lus `holder projecting from its peri hery., t e walls of the casing being of tie same thickness throughout and the inner faces of said walls parallel'.

WALTER WHITTEN. 

